Coming to my senses.

The phone rings.

Me: Hello

Voice: Is this Randy Hughes?

Me: Yes.

Voice: Do you live at 603B Osceola Mills?

Me: Yes, can I help you?

Voice: Yes, I have your plane....

Me: Plane? Oh, you mean a radio controlled plane?

Voice: Yes, it is an orange plane. It hit a big oak tree across the road from my house. I heard a buzzing sound and couldn't figure out what it was. Then I saw your plane gliding through the air and right into the oak. I climbed up in the tree and gathered all the pieces I could find. You can come and get your plane....

Me: Thank you sir. Where do you live?

Voice: I live down in New Liberty.

Me: I'll be there in 10 minutes.

Well, yesterday was the story of my radio control airplane and about my unwillingness to listen to instruction and impatience more than anything else. Yesterday, we left the story with a plane headed somewhere with an inevitable crash at the end of the flight. Today, let's talk about the crash that occurred. Nobody was hurt...well other than a smashed plane.

Sheepishly gathering up my plane, thanking the man profusely for getting it out of the oak tree, and slinking back home with my tail between my legs was more difficult than taking the plane off in the first place.

It didn't take long for the story of my plane escapades to reach the RC club members. A few shrugs, some eye rolls, and one uncle who looked me in the eye and said, "Why did you do this on your own? I would have helped you learn how to do this right."

As it turned out, rather than trash the plane, my uncle got a bargain of a deal on a slightly used RC plane (actually, it was pretty decimated). he took it home, rebuilt it and flew it for quite some time afterward. For me, it was a learning experience and one moment in time to recall what it means to experience a death of sorts but then the resurrection.

"Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give

me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. “Not long after that, the younger

son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.

After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in

need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed

pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him

anything. “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare,

and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have

sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one

of your hired men.’ So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father

saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and

kissed him. “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer

worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on

him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast

and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began

to celebrate." (Luke 15:11-24, NIV)

I literally went from having a 'stubborn mind of my own' and paying a steep price for it to 'coming to my senses' and realizing I needed a change of perspective. My heart wasn't right and it needed adjusted. That event occurred about 25 years ago and I still miss my uncle Ray. he was a rough and tumble guy but had a heart of gold. I might add, he had a golden touch on the radio control receiver too. He would have been a great teacher had I let him...